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Designing counter-choreographies: embodied choreographic approaches for critical examination of online tracking

Designing counter-choreographies: embodied choreographic approaches for critical examination of online tracking
Designing counter-choreographies: embodied choreographic approaches for critical examination of online tracking

This paper describes a workshop conducted as part of practice-based research that aims at critiquing online tracking algorithms commonly found in everyday web environments. The workshop introduced participants to online tracking algorithms using a series of choreographic exercises that informed a discussion on the topic and strategies to counteract data-driven extractivist technologies. We analysed the outcomes of our workshop and showed that it allowed individuals to become more aware of their lack of agency over data harvesting and its use by digital services, and enabled them to develop strategies for reclaiming agency over their personal data. We discuss how the choreographic approach used in the workshop contributes to engaging people in a critical examination of online tracking in their everyday lives and to inspire forms of countering extractive algorithmic systems. Our paper contributes empirical insights on how choreography can be used to raise awareness of data tracking online.

Algorithmic Awareness, Critical Design, Embodiment, Extractivist Technology, Online Tracking Algorithms, User-Data
872-885
Association for Computing Machinery
Chicau, Joana
767d713a-47b8-4ae0-8e7f-d05670960190
Alaoui, Sarah Fdili
00ae0166-2800-4225-aaa8-8ec85ce5e016
Steele, Anne Lee
5af336ac-95c5-4172-824f-2e28643a1d71
Ryan, Hazel
63ff29da-5c83-4ea4-a9d5-d1120b132635
Sánchez, Yadira
379f893e-226e-4df1-99a6-2d30b979057c
Gadelrab, Romayne
68601b68-08e8-4a08-9831-3dea547fcc8c
Sinders, Caroline
22e2b6d2-7535-498f-8653-7cb67a0c759d
Patel, Mukul
f79e9c94-cb73-40c8-ae26-32de8accc3e0
Starks, Gavin
7a0f568a-3d7c-41a1-a6cd-c091613b5bbf
Fass, John
416f18ed-09c2-4c02-b39d-06d863d18968
Fiebrink, Rebecca
79b376bf-a206-422a-9830-bbe32dba9986
Andolina, Salvatore
Bryan-Kinns, Nick
Alaoui, Sarah Fdili
Chicau, Joana
767d713a-47b8-4ae0-8e7f-d05670960190
Alaoui, Sarah Fdili
00ae0166-2800-4225-aaa8-8ec85ce5e016
Steele, Anne Lee
5af336ac-95c5-4172-824f-2e28643a1d71
Ryan, Hazel
63ff29da-5c83-4ea4-a9d5-d1120b132635
Sánchez, Yadira
379f893e-226e-4df1-99a6-2d30b979057c
Gadelrab, Romayne
68601b68-08e8-4a08-9831-3dea547fcc8c
Sinders, Caroline
22e2b6d2-7535-498f-8653-7cb67a0c759d
Patel, Mukul
f79e9c94-cb73-40c8-ae26-32de8accc3e0
Starks, Gavin
7a0f568a-3d7c-41a1-a6cd-c091613b5bbf
Fass, John
416f18ed-09c2-4c02-b39d-06d863d18968
Fiebrink, Rebecca
79b376bf-a206-422a-9830-bbe32dba9986
Andolina, Salvatore
Bryan-Kinns, Nick
Alaoui, Sarah Fdili

Chicau, Joana, Alaoui, Sarah Fdili, Steele, Anne Lee, Ryan, Hazel, Sánchez, Yadira, Gadelrab, Romayne, Sinders, Caroline, Patel, Mukul, Starks, Gavin, Fass, John and Fiebrink, Rebecca (2025) Designing counter-choreographies: embodied choreographic approaches for critical examination of online tracking. Andolina, Salvatore, Bryan-Kinns, Nick and Alaoui, Sarah Fdili (eds.) In Designing Counter-Choreographies: Embodied Choreographic Approaches for Critical Examination of Online Tracking. Association for Computing Machinery. pp. 872-885 . (doi:10.1145/3698061.3726928).

Record type: Conference or Workshop Item (Paper)

Abstract

This paper describes a workshop conducted as part of practice-based research that aims at critiquing online tracking algorithms commonly found in everyday web environments. The workshop introduced participants to online tracking algorithms using a series of choreographic exercises that informed a discussion on the topic and strategies to counteract data-driven extractivist technologies. We analysed the outcomes of our workshop and showed that it allowed individuals to become more aware of their lack of agency over data harvesting and its use by digital services, and enabled them to develop strategies for reclaiming agency over their personal data. We discuss how the choreographic approach used in the workshop contributes to engaging people in a critical examination of online tracking in their everyday lives and to inspire forms of countering extractive algorithmic systems. Our paper contributes empirical insights on how choreography can be used to raise awareness of data tracking online.

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3698061.3726928 - Version of Record
Available under License Creative Commons Attribution.
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More information

Published date: 22 June 2025
Keywords: Algorithmic Awareness, Critical Design, Embodiment, Extractivist Technology, Online Tracking Algorithms, User-Data

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 505887
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/505887
PURE UUID: 83fbe8a8-1a84-4fdc-8ecc-c6e952f2668a
ORCID for Yadira Sánchez: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0003-0998-3325

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 22 Oct 2025 16:46
Last modified: 23 Oct 2025 02:24

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Contributors

Author: Joana Chicau
Author: Sarah Fdili Alaoui
Author: Anne Lee Steele
Author: Hazel Ryan
Author: Yadira Sánchez ORCID iD
Author: Romayne Gadelrab
Author: Caroline Sinders
Author: Mukul Patel
Author: Gavin Starks
Author: John Fass
Author: Rebecca Fiebrink
Editor: Salvatore Andolina
Editor: Nick Bryan-Kinns
Editor: Sarah Fdili Alaoui

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